1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to loose-leaf binders, more specifically to a spine designed to hold a threaded nut for attaching the binder ring mechanism to the spine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 1,051,089 patented Jan. 21, 1913 by R. C. David describes an upwardly open C-shaped slot extending the length of the spine of a binder. A nut slides in the slot. A tubular post designed to receive a hole in paper destined for the binder has a flange on the bottom of the post that is larger in diameter than the slot opening so that when the post is drawn to the nut by a screw through the tubular opening, the shoulders of the slot are clamped between the upper surface of the nut and the flange. The post may be mounted anywhere along the length of the slot by sliding the nut to the desired location and tightening the screw.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,570,966 patented Oct. 9, 1951 by H. H. More describes an upwardly open C-shaped slot extending along a length of the spine of the binder. A threaded block slides in the slot. A post designed to receive a hole in paper destined for the binder has a threaded extension extending axially from the bottom of the post, the bottom of the post being wider than the opening of the slot for clamping the shoulders of the slot between the bottom of the post and the block.
In one arrangement the shoulders of the slot have a downward depending flange skirt that is received in slots in the block which resist lateral movement of the block.
In another arrangement means are provided for supporting a paper post in the threaded block adjacent to the threads, and the threaded block is fastened in the channel by pressing it against the shoulders by counter force of a thumb screw in the slot extending through the block and bearing on the bottom of the C. The threaded block is a first block and the C is formed in a second block. The base of the binder is hollow, having aligned slots in the top and bottom of the base, and the second block carrying the first block and post, tracks along between the top and bottom slots by means of the shaft of the thumb screw in the top slot, and by a set screw shaft in the bottom slot that is used to fasten the second block to the base at anywhere along the length of the bottom slot.
It is one object of the invention to provide a loose-leaf binder assembly in which the binder mechanism is mounted on the front of the spine with a screw.
It is another object that a nut adapted to receive the screw is held within the spine.
It is another object that the nut is received in a cavity formed in the spine, the front of the cavity being open toward the back of the spine.
It is another object that the screw extends into the nut through an opening in the back of the cavity at the front of the spine.
A binder assembly includes a base, a binder mechanism, a hole through the binder mechanism for a screw, a plate having an integrally formed raised portion of the top of said plate forming a downwardly open cavity configured to receive a threaded nut of known thread diameter and known shape through the bottom of the plate, the wall of the cavity being shaped to closely fit a portion of the nut so that the wall of the cavity prevents rotation of the nut in the cavity, the downward opening being a first opening, a second opening in the top of the cavity, the diameter of the second opening being larger than the diameter of the threaded opening in the nut and smaller than the diameter of the nut, the raised portion being positioned on the plate for receiving a screw through the second opening when the binder mechanism is mounted on the plate and the screw extends through the hole in the binder mechanism.